And of course there is Tillinghast-Towers Perrin (the company that provides risk management for the insurance and reinsurance industry).

According to the actuarial consulting firm Towers Perrin, medical malpractice tort costs were $30.4 billion in 2007, the last year for which data are available. We have a more than a $2 trillion health care system. That puts litigation costs and malpractice insurance at 1 to 1.5 percent of total medical costs. That’s a rounding error. Liability isn’t even the tail on the cost dog. It’s the hair on the end of the tail.

Tort reform is a red herring. It is unfortunate that everyone is so willing to give up their right to sue with such a small cost to society. If that is the case then maybe we should have death panels for the elders.